DEBATABLE: The first presidential debate proved that Donald Trump tells a lie more convincingly than Joe Biden tells the truth.

  Trump, like he does in campaign appearances and press conferences, fired off fictions last night faster than Biden could respond other than to say, “Everything he just said is a lie.”

  Biden came to the debate hoarse, with a weak voice, and struggling with his stutter, allowing Trump to look commanding. Ten minutes into the debate Biden lost his train of thought and appeared to freeze as his time ran out on a response.

  CNN’S Van Jones called it “The old man versus the con man.” Before the night was over Democrats were calling for Biden to be replaced as their candidate. 

  Trump repeated his talking points that “everyone” wanted control of abortion policy returned to the states, that the US border is the most dangerous place in the world, that Hamas would not have attacked Israel and Russia wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine if he was president. Trump said, “I will have that war settled before I take office.”

  Trump said, “We’re a failing nation right now. We’re a seriously failing nation and we’re failing because of him,” indicating Biden. At one point he referred to the President as “Brandon,” a reference to the hateful “Let’s go Brandon” Trumpie slogan.

  They were 40 minutes into the debate before Biden pointed out that Trump is a convicted felon facing a battery of further charges. Trump’s response was that “This man,” meaning Biden, “is a criminal. I did nothing wrong.”

  Biden said, “You have the morals of an alley cat.”

  An hour and a half into it, the debate devolved into who’s a better golfer.

OVERDOSED: In a decision with a mix of liberals and conservatives on both sides, the Supreme Court ruled that members of the wealthy Sackler family who control Purdue Pharma cannot be shielded from lawsuits over their role in the opioid crisis as part of a bankruptcy settlement that would grant billions of dollars to victims and families.

  Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers have been long been characterized as the nation’s street-corner drug dealer pushing the painkiller Oxycontin. 

  In the 5-to-4 decision, the majority said that the federal bankruptcy code does not authorize a liability shield for third parties in bankruptcy agreements. Justice Gorsuch for the majority was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

  The deal would have required the Sacklers to pay up to $6 billion over 18 years, with almost $4.5 billion due in the first nine. The court’s decision not only throws out the Purdue deal but other major bankruptcy cases that employ shields against personal liability, including one between the Boy Scouts of America and victims of sexual abuse.

  In other business, the court released its Idaho abortion ruling that was accidentally posted on its website Wednesday. Idaho has a near-total ban on abortions, but the court reinstated a lower court ruling that said hospitals in Idaho could perform emergency abortions if necessary to protect the health of the mother.

THE THIN BLUE LINE: A grand jury indicted former Uvalde, Texas school police chief Pete Arredondo and a former officer for child endangerment in the slow response to the 2022 Robb Elementary school shooting. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in the shooting.

  Three hundred and seventy six officers waited for more than an hour to confront the gunman. 

  The Atlantic ran a fascinating article in January that says few police officers are trained and psychologically prepared to deal with mass shooters. 

THE WAR ROOM: The Russian military using wave attacks during the month of May lost about 1,000 soldiers a day killed and wounded, The NY Times reports.

  At the same time Russia is recruiting about 25-30,000 new soldiers a month to be sent with little training and no experience into the meatgrinder. Although successful in some areas, the Russian tactics failed this spring to take the city of Kharkiv. 

  Russian soldiers have said on social media that they are being cut down by drones, machine guns, and artillery. The US defense department believes 350,000 Russians have been killed or wounded in two years of the Ukraine war. The British put that number at 500,000. 

SUITS: Roberta Kaplan, a powerhouse lawyer who championed same-sex marriage and victims of sexual harassment or assault in the #MeToo movement, has left the law firm she founded in an internal dispute over her own behavior in the office. Kaplan is the lawyer who won the stunning $83 million defamation judgement against Donald Trump on behalf of writer E. Jean Carroll.

  Kaplan is deeply involved with the Democratic party and has been a hero to liberals. Her name comes off the wall on Monday.

HOOP DREAMS: The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Bronny James, son of the great LeBron James, after only a year on the court with USC. Whether Bronny is ready for the NBA is debatable, but the Lakers are trying to hold onto LeBron, who is now a free agent.

 “My last year will be played with my son,” LeBron told The Athletic in 2022. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”   The 19-year-old Bronny and 39-year-old LeBron would be the first father and son to play on the same NBA team.

  Last July Bronny landed in the hospital after suffering cardiac arrest during practice. In his only season at USC he played in 25 games, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.

BELOW THE FOLD: A seven-bedroom, 15,500 square-foot home on the Cape Cod oceanfront built in 2012 has sold for a Cape Cod record of $22.75 million. Our bet is that almost no one will ever be there except the guys who mow the lawn and tend the pool.

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